Communication, BA

College of Arts & Sciences

Program Description:

To earn a degree in Communication, students must complete 36 credits in departmental courses, including 101, 300, 301, 332 or 333, and 400. Twenty-one of the required 36 credits must be taken in courses 300 level or above. Students must complete 101 with a C or better before being admitted as majors. 101 is a prerequisite for 300 and 301; 332 or 333 and 300 and 301 must be completed before taking 400.

Communication majors must also complete 9 credits in one of the concentrations in the department–intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, and public communication. The first course in the sequence–noted in bold type–is required. Students may select the remaining 6 units from the other courses in the track. Courses within the concentration may be taken in any order.

Admission Requirements:

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

Transfer students must have a 2.0 transfer GPA.

Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

Completion of the University Speaking and Writing Core.

Completion of the University Mathematics Core.

Completion of the University Foreign Language Core.

Completion of Department of Communication and Journalism major admission coursework with grades of "C" or better:

Communication: CJ 101 and one 3 credit hour CJ course at any level.

Journalism and Mass Communication: CJ 171L and STAT 145.

Career Opportunities:

UNM’s B.A. degree in Communication “helps to prepare students for a variety of careers including: sales, positions in
organizations emphasizing internal communication, organizational training, management, human resources, or any career
that involves or emphasizes communication” (from the UNM Department of Communication & Journalism website).
Students choose to focus on one of five areas: intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, mass
communication, organizational communication, or rhetoric. A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required. Some areas may require a graduate degree, or may
assist employment in highly competitive areas. Communication is a broad degree that can lead to job opportunities in
many diverse fields. Therefore, it is critical that students gain related experience and skills through internships, part-time
work, or volunteering in their field of interest as undergraduates. Information on C& J internships can be found at:
http://www.unm.edu/~cjdept/curriculum/internships.html